I admit that I may hold a rather biased view of Bromley Mountain.  After all, I kicked off the 2008-2009 ski season by attempting to snowboard at the “Unforgiving Boarder Cross” Park; I received my first telemark lesson  (Stay tuned because we will publish a separate article dedicated to telemark programs at Bromley)  there and enjoyed many good powder days at Bromley resort! Though these fond memories no doubt affect my judgment, my friends–who are not as attached to the place–agree that Bromley ski resort is worth a trip to southern Vermont.

There is an appropriate time and place for every adventure, and a ski vacation is no exception. Certain ski resorts are best suited for experts, and some are geared toward beginners. From this perspective, Bromley Ski Resort could be classified as an excellent all-around resort for “weekend” warriors, who log eight to twelve days of skiing per season.

While Bromley resort may not boast the highest vertical, even by Vermont skiing standards, the relatively rare crowds, convenient ski lift system, and diverse ski terrain should satisfy skiers of most levels, including some advanced skiers and snowboarders. A beginner skier or snowboarder will certainly benefit from a couple of days at Bromley mountain. They will appreciate designated ski lifts and gentle terrains for novice skiers and snowboarders. Furthermore, should you need a ski lesson to learn the first turns or to hone existing skills, consider signing up for a group lesson. There is a very good chance that you will receive a private instructor for the price of a group lesson! The morale of a story is that on many weekends–not including certain holidays–Bromley is not crowded at all.

Bromley Ski Resort is also very telemark friendly. The rental shop has one of the largest selections–at least in the area–of telemark skis and boots. Last year, the resort’s management organized a telemark festival, in which anyone could try demo equipment or sign up for a free clinic that lasted for over three hours. Certainly, if the opportunity arises, the resort will organize similar events this season. So keep your eye on updates and be prepared to give teleturn a shot!

If you are interested in snowboarding and jumps, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Unforgiving Boarder X course, located directly behind the Plaza. Cambered turns, jumps, and turns will test your ability to control your skies and snowboard. Alternatively, you can make your way toward the Sun Mountain Express and ride to the top of the mountain. From the summit, you can consider a myriad of options. One word of advice: if you snowboard, keep your speed up when descending the Pushover and heading toward the main lodge. The connecting trail is quite flat!

In addition to the above features, Bromley ski resort provides excellent lift ticket deals. Personally, I favor the Sunday Afternoon Passport deal, valued at $29. Always check the resort’s Web site for new updates and deals. Chances are that Bromley will have mid-week specials that might even include lunch in one low price.

Once you are done with skiing and riding, you can take a break at the lodge. While the lodge is not particularly fancy–though Bromley mountain provides fancy Tazo teas alongside Lipton–it serves its main task of allowing you to relax, eat, and drink. There are no spas or massage tables–just a gigantic and cozy fireplace, a cafeteria, and a ski shop. Frankly, I think these amenities are more than enough. However, simply because the facilities are not luxury does not mean that the cafeteria will not burn a hole in your plastic card. Prices are comparable to other resorts, and yes, there is a minimum on credit card charges.

One final issue to be aware of is that being nicknamed the Sun Mountain is both a blessing and a curse. On some particularly harsh winter days, the sun can soften ice surfaces and make skiing and riding more pleasurable–unless, of course, you like bobsleighing. However, during the spring ski season, you might wish to find a shadow and corn snow, instead of the puddles and slush that cover many trails. It is simply impossible to ski once the sun rises in late March or early April. Nonetheless, as mentioned above, there is a time and place for every adventure, and ski vacations are not an exception.

1) You can view our photostreams from Vermont on Flickr.

2) Follow us on Twitter.

3) Check out 2010 adult season pass rates  at Bromley Mountain.

4) See what is happening with season pass prices around the corner at Magic Mountain.

5) Take a road up to Stratton to check the 2010 season pass rates.

Tags: Bromley mountain, Bromley Review, Bromley ski, Bromley ski resort, family ski vacations, ski trips, ski vermont, Vermont, Vermont ski resorts, vermont skiing, VT

Until last year I heard a lot of positive things about Arcteryx and their products. I wanted to get one badly but alas , Arcteryx does not belong to a “cheap gear” category. So after some serious considerations and extensive time spend on googling up discount coupons, I finally decided to give Arcteryx a shot. A hundred dollar question was simple: “What could I buy at that price range?” and “What do I really need?”.

After a brief battle between “what I need” and “What I can afford” I picked a baselayer category since that was what I needed most. First of all, I didn’t have a decent baselayer at that time and most importantly, I needed something to wick moisture…a lot of moisture because I tend to sweat a lot when engaged in athletic activities. Therefore, Arcteryx Rho LT came to my mind and shopping cart as a natural choice.

From a product description:

These synthetic foundations enable warm, dry next-to-skin wicking performance. Lightweight fibers move moisture rapidly, and a silver ion treatment reacts with sweat to cut stink out of the technical equation.

I got my Arcteryx Rho LT for around $60 which is much more wallet friendly compared to a regular price of $99. Hint: line up a bunch of retailers and google up discout coupons. Chances are you will find last year’s color at a steep discount which you can further increase by using a coupon.

Logically, I could not wait to get an undershirt regularly priced at $100. So, when I finally received a package, I didn’t waste any time, opened a package and the very first thought was…”Damn, it is small!”. Hint: Arcteryx Rho LT runs on a small side, so I would suggest to size up. When picking a size I consulted a chart that indicated that I could go with “medium”. Well, at 5″8, 165 pounds I generally wear large, however, Rho LT was supposed to be skin hugging so I decided that since conventional wisdom and size charts indicate “medium” I probably should go with medium. It turned out that either my “conventional wisdom” or a size chart was wrong because medium was too tight and I had to exchange it for a larger size.

Arcteryx Rho LT is made in Canada so in terms quality you can expect top notch craftsmanship. It is also extremely soft against skin and I will go as far as to say that after wearing couple of comparable shirts, this one is easily number one. I will hesitate to call it a midweight baselayer but worn with appropriate mid layers, it kept me warm and dry at Sugarbush where on that particular day temperatures hovered around 15F.(Note: I wear a hard shell, so basically I am talking about a base layer, fleece and shell as my set up)

Since it is a synthetic piece, I expected it to stink badly after a day of skiing and to my greatest surprise it performed rather well from that perspective as well. I guess silver ions do keep funk at the minimum

Bottom line:

If you need a lightweight, soft against skin and fitted baselayer, Arcteryx Rho LT should meet and exceed your expectations. If you consume lots of beer or just simply out of shape, wearing Arcteryx Rho LT on a casual basis will make it even more obvious, so consider that. I would not buy Rho LT at $100 bucks, however, there are plenty of online retailers and discontinued colors to choose from, so you should find this baselayer at $60-$70 dollar range. After all, I don’t think that discontinued colors have much of an impact on technical quality and as far as I am aware, last year’s silver ions should perform just as good as the ones used in 2008/2009 Rho LT models.